Review: Clay Ghosts in Sicily by Angie Voluti

I was intrigued by this book. On reading the extract from the publishers I feared it would be too flowery, but the story's description, that it was based on real events, had me interested. I couldn't wait for it to arrive in the post.
Looking at the cover, I could not understand why there was a picture of a toddler on the back - a mummified one who looked simply to be asleep. I still don't know why the author chose to include that image.
On to the story. This is a wartime tale well written - a page-turner. A story of heartbreak and hardship, love and loss, but with a couple of twists to the ending that I didn't see coming.
Recommended - I want to read it again.

The Jane Austen Handbook

I'm no history buff. I never read any Jane Austen books and so am not qualified to comment on the accuracies of this book - however I feel that the language used is just shy of the mark - like a slipping accent - every so often a word or phrase is dropped in that seems incongruous.  I am fairly sure that Ms Austen did not talk about downtime, and that the phrase 'Small Beer and Skittles' does not exist.  Small Beer, yes.  Beer and Skittles, yes, but never the two combined.  That said, I reckon it would be a handy book to have if one needs to 'cram' for an english exam, or if simply interested in the ways of that period.  Just don't quote directly from it.  There.  Now the author will hate me.

That fork in the road...

I'm still here - managed to lose my pic, though.  Reviews will continue over here, and crafts-and-randomness has started over there - http://astrojill.blogspot.com .

A Fork in the Road...

Normal service to be resumed here shortly - meanwhile, look out for my new blog, all about crafts, how-to's, thoughts and other Random Stuff.

The Northern Quarter

Manchester's Northern Quarter is coming alive.  There are so many fantastic arty places there, now), it's practically buzzing.  Yeh, still the odd paraffin lamp*, so a biddy like me hasta keep moving.
* Paraffin lamp + tramp.

Changing direction without a compass...

No, not the title of a new book, but the state I'm in at the mo'.
OK... I've been thinking for a while that, whilst I adore reading and writing (not arithmetic, though), book reviews are not the only thing this blog should be good for.
In the past year or so I've been bitten (nay, infested) by the craft bug.  I've taken up crochet again after a huge hiatus, and, thanks to the excellent www.ravelry.com I am exploring new techniques and materials.  Thrift, recycling and eco-friendly are all making sense, now.  This in turn has led to my trawling the charity shops for yarn, beads, buttons and fabric.  Ah, fabric... my sewing machine has finally seen the light of day!  Abakhan has become one of my favourite shops (I love their 'remainder' bins), and my typing chair is gradually being pushed forward by all the 'stuff' I've been squirrelling away.  Is that my age?  Ha har - maybe I'm now a material girl.
So, chaps and chapesses, watch this space for more of this metamorphosis.

Night of the Living Trekkies

Authors Kevin Anderson and Sam Stall
Quirk Fiction
£9.99
ISBN 978-1-59474-463-1
Quirk fiction is mixing genres - who thought that would work?  Actually, in this book at least, it does.  Night of the Living Trekkies is a brilliant sci-fi concept, bringing fans and zombies together (eek).  Ultra-readable, once I was over the first couple of pages I couldn't put it down.  So well written it played in my head like a movie - in fact, someone really should make a film of it.
What I particularly liked about this book was that the 'how-and-the-why' of zombies was fully explained - there was a reasoning behind it, instead of the usual 'well, they all turned into zombies somehow and you have to shoot their heads off'.
I would recommend this, and can't wait for the next one - and I'm not usually into zombies, trek, wars or any other sci-fi.
(Severed) footnote:  Trekkie/Trekker hubbie read this, and also thought it was brilliant.